Bruno Curvale. President of ENQA Bologna expert Head of international affairs at AERES. 14 th of May 2009 Murcia

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1 Bruno Curvale President of ENQA Bologna expert Head of international affairs at AERES 14 th of May 2009 Murcia

2 Outline of the presentation Introduction ENQA The Bologna Process European Quality Assurance The role(s) of students

3 Learning outcomes - goals of the presentation To give information about the context of QA in higher education To help students, and others, to think, to define and to play their role in QA in HE

4 I - ENQA The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education

5 Background information on ENQA Network in 2000; association in Full members, 8 Candidate members Associates and Affiliates since 2006: 24+2 (Map) Umbrella NGO for European QA agencies Structure: Board, General Assembly, Secretariat External reviews of ENQA member agencies by 2010 Co-operation within E4 (EUA, ESU, EURASHE) A consultative member in the Bologna Follow-up Group

6 II - The Bologna Process A partial view from an observer

7 The Bologna Process Education as a challenge for European States La Sorbonne Bologna 1999 Massification - Democratisation of higher education Globalisation of higher education Higher education at the core of State policies Attractiveness and competitiveness of European HE

8 The Bologna Process European convergence A Pan-European and intergovernmental process Bologne Prague Berlin Bergen Londres Leuven Louvain-la-Neuve 2009 Mobility as a tool and purpose Interoperability of HE systems B M D, ECTS, degrees in international partnership (joint degrees), Diploma supplement National Qualification Framework - European Qualification Framework

9 The Bologna Process Attractiveness External dimension An interlinked process Two Europe (BP46 / EU27) National development and intra-european competition Link between EU policies (Lisbon Strategy and Bologna Process) far from being obvious.

10 The Bologna Process A transforming process National higher education systems under transformation National HE systems are changing Notion of employability Students learning centred approaches Learning outcomes - Competencies It is important for students (and not only for students) to understand that they are studying in HE systems in transformation

11 III - European Quality Assurance Major steps

12 Bologna process and quality assurance developments Cooperation of QA agencies and HE European institutions cooperation in quality assurance E4 Group Primary responsibility of HE institutions for quality European Standards and Guidelines European Register 04/ Bologna 2001 Prague 2003 Berlin 2005 Bergen 2007 London 2009 Leuven Louvain-la- Neuve 1998 Reco CE 2006 Reco CE Source : Colin Tück, E4, B. Curvale

13 European standards and guidelines (ESG) Drafted by ENQA in consultation with EUA, EURASHE and ESU Approved by the Bologna ministerial conference in Bergen in 2005 Introduced internationally accepted standards for quality assurance in higher education ESG for internal QA within HEIs ESG for the external QA of higher education ESG for external QA agencies Introduced a peer review system for quality assurance agencies: Cyclical reviews of agencies, based on ESG, every five years for (reconfirmation of) full ENQA membership and/or for being (re)listed in EQAR

European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education After the ministerial endorsement, a Register working group set up by E4 EQAR founded by the E4 Group as an association under Belgian Law on 4

14 European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education After the ministerial endorsement, a Register working group set up by E4 EQAR founded by the E4 Group as an association under Belgian Law on 4 March 2008 A web-based information tool ( list of QA agencies operating in Europe, containing basic information First applications received in September 2008 Acting Director appointed ENQA has nominated two representatives for the Register Committee as well as ESU, EURASHE and EUA ENQA has nominated one of the four members of the Executive Board and is thereby involved in the day-to-day management of the EQAR

15 Relationship between ENQA and EQAR ENQA is an umbrella organisation for QA agencies, a membership organisation organises events, publishes reports, shares and promotes good practice, conducts different (research) projects represents the interests of its members in the EHEA and internationally EQAR is an information tool on trustworthy agencies, a list on the internet does not organise events, publish reports, share good practice or conduct (research) projects

16 European Standards and Guidelines The internal evaluation is the corner stone of quality assurance in higher education. The external evaluation is a condition of the credibility of the results of the internal evaluation. External evaluators are accountable for the quality of their activities.

17 In concrete terms For the higher education institutions: The standards deal with the education activities of the HEIs. They are demanding as regard the objectives to be reached. They are not normative as regard the tools, the procedures and the organisation. It is up to each institution to develop its own quality culture and to put in place the policies, the strategies and the systems adapted to its situation and ambition. The HEIs quality assurance mechanisms have to satisfy their proper needs but also the expectations of their partners, communities and stakeholders. The first set of standards clarifies the goals. The guidelines clarify the philosophy of the standards and, where appropriate, suggest good practices.

18 In concrete terms For the agencies: The agencies have to verify the HEIs achievements as regard the European standards and guidelines for internal quality assurance (first set of standards). The agencies have to use procedures that comply with the European standards and guidelines for the external quality assurance of higher education (second set of standards). The agencies in order to be recognised as trustworthy have to prove that they fulfil the requirements of the European standards for external quality assurance agencies (third set of standard).

19 In brief ENQA European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education ESG The European Standards and Guidelines EQAR The European Quality Assurance Register E4 (ENQA, EURASHE, ESU, EUA) are the founding elements of the ongoing development of HE QA

20 IV - The role(s) of students

21 The role of students The expectations They are at the core of the ESG: the quality of the programme and the students experience They are called to participate to internal and external evaluation processes They have to play a role in the development of higher education (that is more than looking for client satisfaction) They should benefit a quality learning experience during their studies

22 The role of students Participation of students in external quality assurance Quality Procedures in the European Higher Education Area and Beyond Second ENQA Survey 51 responding agencies - 30 EHEA countries Survey made and published in 2008

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24 ENQA analysis Given that transparency is the top objective and given that stakeholder involvement has increased transparency, it is curious how 51% of agencies can seem to justify not having student representation on their boards/councils. For a better interpretation, it would be necessary to ask agencies what they understand with the selected objectives. Among the respondent agencies fully implementing the ESG four-stage process 59% involve student representatives with a formal role in the specification of processes and criteria; 55% have a student representation on their board/council; 90% have established accountability procedures. All this may suggest that implementation of the model may be correlated with a progressive overall approach. Notably, there has been an increase in student representation (now 49%) on respondent agency boards/councils since 2003, while only a third of boards had student members. In spite of an improvement, the current level still seems low in the context of a recognised need for greater emphasis on how higher education affects students.

25 QuickTime et un décompresseur sont requis pour visionner cette image. With the current shift towards learning outcome-oriented programmes, it is reasonable to expect that in the future more attention will be focused on students, graduates and employers when assessing the overall quality of an institution.

26 QuickTime et un décompresseur sont requis pour visionner cette image. COMPARISON WITH THE 2003 SURVEY In terms of direct comparisons with the figures produced, the percentage of national experts representing the area of focus and the percentage of international experts on panels has remained the same. The number of student members has risen significantly (from 22% in 2003). The number of professional practitioners has risen significantly (from 36% in 2003).

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28 The role of students Who are the students we are talking about? 19 millions students enrolled in HE in EU in 2006 Life Long Learning will develop Students organisations Students representatives Individual students

29 The role of students The responsibilities They are listen to They are ask to participate in the building of the EHEA They are expected to commit themselves in the functionning of HEIs

30 The role of students The Bologna Process is demanding to students They are asked to act as: Customers (or to think in terms of labour market) Learners Actors of HE and HEIs Citizens

31 Thank you for your attention

32 Students in French Higher Education 2500 Loi de 1968 (Faure's law) Loi de 1984 (Savary's law) Starting up of the Bologna process 2000 Number of students (by thousand) Preparatory classes to "Grandes écoles" Institutes of technology (IUT) Other institutions Non university technicians training (STS) Universities (without IUT) Together Source : MEN 2004

33 The 46 signatory countries of the Bologna process 1999 Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, Bulgarie, Danemark, Espagne, Estonie, Finlande, France, Grèce, Hongrie, Islande, Irlande, Italie, Lettonie, Lituanie, Luxembourg, Malte, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Portugal, République Slovaque, République tchèque, Roumanie, Royaume-Uni, Slovénie, Suède, Suisse Chypre, Croatie, Liechtenstein, Turquie Albanie, Principauté d Andorre, Bosnie-Herzégovine, «ex-république yougoslave de Macédoine», Russie, Saint Siège, Serbie-Monténegro Arménie, Azerbaïdjan, Géorgie, Moldavie, Ukraine Monténégro.

34 The 46 signatory countries of the Bologna process 1999 Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, Bulgarie, Danemark, Espagne, Estonie, Finlande, France, Grèce, Hongrie, Islande, Irlande, Italie, Lettonie, Lituanie, Luxembourg, Malte, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Portugal, République Slovaque, République tchèque, Roumanie, Royaume-Uni, Slovénie, Suède, Suisse Chypre, Croatie, Liechtenstein, Turquie Albanie, Principauté d Andorre, Bosnie-Herzégovine, «ex-république yougoslave de Macédoine», Russie, Saint Siège, Serbie Arménie, Azerbaïdjan, Géorgie, Moldavie, Ukraine Monténégro.

35 39 agencies

36 47 agencies

38 QuickTime et un décompresseur sont requis pour visionner cette image. 15 agencies

39 QuickTime et un décompresseur sont requis pour visionner cette image. Central and Eastern European Network of QA agencies in HE 21 agencies

40 Part 1. ESG for internal quality assurance within HEIs 1.1 Policy and procedures for quality assurance: Institutions should have a policy and associated procedures for the assurance of the quality and standards of their programmes and awards. They should also commit themselves explicitly to the development of a culture which recognises the importance of quality, and quality assurance, in their work. To achieve this, institutions should develop and implement a strategy for the continuous enhancement of quality. The strategy, policy and procedures should have a formal status and be publicly available. They should also include a role for students and other stakeholders. 1.2 Approval, monitoring and periodic review of programmes and awards: Institutions should have formal mechanisms for the approval, periodic review and monitoring of their programmes and awards. 1.3 Assessment of students: Students should be assessed using published criteria, regulations and procedures which are applied consistently. 1.4 Quality assurance of teaching staff: Institutions should have ways of satisfying themselves that staff involved with the teaching of students are qualified and competent to do so. They should be available to those undertaking external reviews, and commented upon in reports. 1.5 Learning resources and student support: Institutions should ensure that the resources available for the support of student learning are adequate and appropriate for each programme offered. 1.6 Information systems: Institutions should ensure that they collect, analyse and use relevant information for the effective management of their programmes of study and other activities. 1.7 Public information: Institutions should regularly publish up to date, impartial and objective information, both quantitative and qualitative, about the programmes and awards they are offering.

41 Part 2. ESG for the external quality assurance of higher education 2.1 Use of internal quality assurance procedures: External quality assurance procedures should take into account the effectiveness of the internal quality assurance processes described in Part 1 of the European Standards and Guidelines. 2.2 Development of external quality assurance processes: The aims and objectives of quality assurance processes should be determined before the processes themselves are developed, by all those responsible (including higher education institutions) and should be published with a description of the procedures to be used. 2.3 Criteria for decisions: Any formal decisions made as a result of an external quality assurance activity should be based on explicit published criteria that are applied consistently. 2.4 Processes fit for purpose: All external quality assurance processes should be designed specifically to ensure their fitness to achieve the aims and objectives set for them. 2.5 Reporting: Reports should be published and should be written in a style, which is clear and readily accessible to its intended readership. Any decisions, commendations or recommendations contained in reports should be easy for a reader to find. 2.6 Follow-up procedures: Quality assurance processes which contain recommendations for action or which require a subsequent action plan, should have a predetermined follow-up procedure which is implemented consistently. 2.7 Periodic reviews: External quality assurance of institutions and/or programmes should be under taken on a cyclical basis. The length of the cycle and the review procedures to be used should be clearly defined and published in advance. 2.8 System-wide analyses: Quality assurance agencies should produce from time to time summary reports describing and analysing the general findings of their reviews, evaluations, assessments etc.

42 Part 3. ESG for external quality assurance agencies 3.1 Use of external quality assurance procedures for higher education: The external quality assurance of agencies should take into account the presence and effectiveness of the external quality assurance processes described in Part 2 of the European Standards and Guidelines. 3.2 Official status: Agencies should be formally recognised by competent public authorities in the European Higher Education Area as agencies with responsibilities for external quality assurance and should have an established legal basis. They should comply with any requirements of the legislative jurisdictions within which they operate. 3.3 Activities: Agencies should undertake external quality assurance activities (at institutional or programme level) on a regular basis. 3.4 Resources: Agencies should have adequate and proportional resources, both human and financial, to enable them to organise and run their external quality assurance process(es) in an effective and efficient manner, with appropriate provision for the development of their processes and procedures. 3.5 Mission statement: Agencies should have clear and explicit goals and objectives for their work, contained in a publicly available statement. 3.6 Independence: Agencies should be independent to the extent both that they have autonomous responsibility for their operations and that the conclusions and recommendations made in their reports cannot be influenced by third parties such as higher education institutions, ministries or other stakeholders. 3.7 External quality assurance criteria and processes used by the agencies: The processes, criteria and procedures used by agencies should be pre-defined and publicly available. These processes will normally be expected to include: a self-assessment or equivalent procedure by the subject of the quality assurance process; an external assessment by a group of experts, including, as appropriate, (a) student member(s), and site visits as decided by the agency; publication of a report, including any decisions, recommendations or other formal outcomes; a follow-up procedure to review actions taken by the subject of the quality assurance process in the light of any recommendations contained in the report. 3.8 Accountability procedures: Agencies should have in place procedures for their own accountability.

43 The ESG four-stage process describes four distinct processes explicitly and includes follow-up 1. A self-assessment or equivalent procedure by the subject of the quality assurance process 2. An external assessment by a group of experts, including, as appropriate, student representation and site visits as decided by the agency 3. Publication of a report, including any decisions, recommendations or other formal outcomes 4. A follow-up procedure to review actions taken by the subject of the quality assurance process in the light of any recommendations contained in the report

European Higher Education in a Global Setting. A Strategy for the External Dimension of the Bologna Process. 1. Introduction

European Higher Education in a Global Setting. A Strategy for the External Dimension of the Bologna Process. 1. Introduction The Bologna Declaration (1999) sets out the objective of increasing the international